Particularly holy in pilgrims' eyes are places that prophets and saints knew in their lifetimes. The earliest Christian pilgrims sought out the Holy Land and the scenes of Christ's life and Passion. In the same way Hindu pilgrims are drawn to places where human saints or avataras (deities who have descended to earth) have dwelt, and the four most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India are places that have direct associations with the life of the Buddha.
— Jennifer Westwood, On Pilgrimage